Man of the Year

Average customer rating:

Identity Crisis
So Much Potential...So Little Realized!
Suspensful and Exciting
Funnier than real politics
important political statement, just not delivered in the most effective style..

Man of the Year (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Robin Williams , Christopher Walken , Laura Linney , Lewis Black , and Jeff Goldblum
Director: Barry Levinson
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The Prestige
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Babel
Night at the Museum (Widescreen Edition)
The Pursuit of Happyness (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000LC5B7O
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Amazon.com

A comedy with serious intentions, Man of the Year attempts to challenge the audience's notions of what is and isn't real when it comes to politics. Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) is a popular political talk show host. As a lark, he runs for president and wins. The thing is, he's not any more unqualified than the other candidates, so his victory doesn't seem quite so outrageous. But when it turns out that the computer ballot firm responsible for tallying all the votes may have had a glitch--and that a recount would negate his win--mayhem ensues and the film segues from comedy, to drama, and back to comedy (sort of) again. Directed by Barry Levinson (Diner, Wag the Dog), the film doesn't take advantage of Williams' natural humor or charm. He at times appears to be chomping at the bit to unleash a comedic tirade or two, only to be held back by stiff lines. Williams only truly appears to be enjoying himself when trading lines with Laura Linney, who portrays the hapless do-gooder at the ballot firm who's being set up to appear unreliable. With some fine performances by a supporting cast that includes Jeff Goldblum, Lewis Black, and the inimitable Christopher Walken, Man of the Year occasionally hints at greatness. But at best, it's a lukewarm comedy with a diluted message. --Jae-Ha Kim

Customer Reviews:

Identity Crisis.......2007-06-21

Political comedian, Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams), runs for President as an Independent, and you guessed it...he wins. A company called Delacroy, has created a new computer-based voting system that is used in the new election. During the election a Delacroy employee, Eleanor Green (Laura Linney), discovers the voting system is flawed and that Tom Dobbs was elected because of a computer glitch. Before word gets out, Delacroy fires Green and ruins her credibility. She must decide what to do with the information she has on the faulty voting system, even though she believes Tom Dobbs is the best choice for the country.

This biggest problem with this movie is its identity crisis. Is this a comedy or a political drama/thriller? Robin Williams does what this role demands. His character is over the top, funny, and even likeable. Laura Linney is likewise great in her role as a disgruntled ex-employee with a secret that will rock the country. However, the two storylines of these characters feel like two different movies altogether, and when they merge it really doesn't work. The rest of the cast is average at best, with extremely mediocre appearances by Jeff Goldblum and Christopher Walken. Should these two actors ever be cast in the same movie? Too much eccentricity for me.

I am so disappointed because this movie could have been great. Two great concepts: political comedian becomes President and new voting system gone bad. Too bad they belong in separate movies.

So Much Potential...So Little Realized!.......2007-06-13

I know Robin Williams isn't everyone's favorite, but I've always been drawn to his quick-witted style. I didn't have high expectations for this film, primarily because it didn't do so well at the box office (I think it closed before I even realized it was out in theaters!).

But, since we were in the doldrums between the end of the new spring TV shows and the start of the summer season of new offerings, I figured it was worth $3.95 to pass a couple of hours. I wasn't disappointed, but I definetly won't be adding to my permanent DVD collection either.

The storyline had so much potential to be a political satire loosely based on a Jon Stewart-type personality becoming President, that I actually caught myself enjoying it. But just when I thought they'd bring down the house, the pulled the rug out from under me by ruining it with computer-election fraud. C'mon people, were you afraid someone was going to take you seriously? As if!

I won't give any more away lest I spoil it for someone else (if I haven't already), but if you want to see it, don't let me discourage you. It's worth $4 bucks, but I'd wait until Target knocks it down to under $10 to buy it...and only buy it if you absolutely have to have every single movie Robin Williams has ever been in. Otherwise, you won't miss it.

Suspensful and Exciting.......2007-06-09

Very exciting. It has everything, Robin William's Humor, action, suspense, and more. Great plot and really keeps you on the edge of your seat!!

Funnier than real politics.......2007-06-07

And that's saying something when you look at the current crop of comics vying for the office of most powerful chief executive on earth. It makes some good points about some of the problems with our political system in an entertaining way. The supposed computer glitch plot line is completely hokey, unrealistic and insults the intelligence of this software developer. The whole idea is ridiculous. Nothing could be easier than to design a vote tallying system. It's an ATM for votes.

important political statement, just not delivered in the most effective style.........2007-06-06

Man of the year, Robin williams latest movie, is a complete rehashing of 'Wag the dog' (which was made by the same people).. like wag the dog the film is very relevant, very important, and kind of disturbing.. Unlike wag the dog: the dialogue often falls flat, it is slightly predictable, the acting while good does not reach the humor and irony of dustin hoffman's performance... I hate to compare two movies like this (it is very often unfair to do so) but I know that the producers of this film are capable of originality (wag the dog was very original afterall).. Robin williams presence alone is usually enough to make a movie enjoyable - but even he (see rv for more proof of this) is only a human being.. Strangely williams recent dramatic appearances have been nearly twice as good as his comedic ones... Though williams is not responsible if a movie he acts in is not perfect - his talents can and should be used more effectively..
Now for the good stuff about this movie - it is completely relevant - one thing modern politics has shown us over the past years is that it deserves to be mocked.. our well greased political structure works well at dealing with business and watching out for the wealthy but it is a system which (very often)neglects the individual and, indeed, the power of a vote (we know this from the gore-bush race - yes gore did actually get elected).. Until justice is served we need to shake things up - and that is one thing 'man of the year does do'.. so do not just take this as a tongue in cheek statement - this is reality folks..

Average customer rating:

Identity Crisis
So Much Potential...So Little Realized!
Suspensful and Exciting
Funnier than real politics
important political statement, just not delivered in the most effective style..

Man of the Year (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Robin Williams , Christopher Walken , Laura Linney , Lewis Black , and Jeff Goldblum
Director: Barry Levinson
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Satire | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Prestige
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Babel
Night at the Museum (Widescreen Edition)
The Pursuit of Happyness (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000LC5B7Y
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Identity Crisis.......2007-06-21

So Much Potential...So Little Realized!.......2007-06-13

Suspensful and Exciting.......2007-06-09

Very exciting. It has everything, Robin William's Humor, action, suspense, and more. Great plot and really keeps you on the edge of your seat!!

Funnier than real politics.......2007-06-07

important political statement, just not delivered in the most effective style.........2007-06-06

Panic in the Year Zero/The Last Man on Earth

Average customer rating:

One good, one OK
Great stuff
The post apocalyptic world is not a pretty place
Last Man
Last Man Standing(I don't know what that's supposed to mean)

Panic in the Year Zero/The Last Man on Earth
Starring: Franca Bettoia , Antonio Corevi , Christi Courtland , Emma Danieli , and Carolyn De Fonseca
Director: Ubaldo Ragona
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Voodoo Island/The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (Midnite Movies Double Feature)
The Omega Man
Cult Classics: Earth vs. the Spider/War of the Colossal Beast
Day the World Ended/She Creature
Tales of Terror/Twice Told Tales (Midnite Movies Double Feature)

ASIN: B000787YOA
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Amazon.com

Vincent Price gives an atypically restrained performance as the sole survivor of a worldwide plague that revives its victims as bloodthirsty vampires. During the day, he canvasses his abandoned hometown, tracking down and stalking his former friends and neighbors, always making sure to return before nightfall, when the dead rise to assault his fortified house. Hope arrives in the form of an apparently normal young woman (Franca Bettoia), but her agenda proves to be even more sinister than that of the vampires.

Based on the 1954 novel by coscripter Matheson (whose displeasure with the final product spurred the use of a pseudonym), this Italian-made production is best known for its influence on George Romero's Night of the Living Dead. The similarities between the two films go beyond the presence of shuffling zombies and housebound heroes; both feature taboo-breaking scenes of interfamilial murder, and both end on bleak, dystopian notes. While The Last Man on Earth lacks the political and darkly satirical shadings (and graphic gore) that make Night of the Living Dead a more memorable experience, the combination of Bava-esque Gothic atmosphere and bleak, documentary-style camerawork by directors Ragona and Salkow (the brother of Price's agent Lester Salkow) lend themselves to moments of pure frisson that compare laudably to Romero's film. Matheson's novel also provided the source material for the awkward 1971 Charlton Heston vehicle The Omega Man. A planned third version, helmed by Ridley Scott and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was shut down in its earliest stages due to skyrocketing budget costs. --Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews:

One good, one OK.......2007-06-14

"Panic in the Year Zero" is an outstanding movie. It is as timely today as it was when made. "The Last Man on Earth" is OK and Vincent Price carries the day. It did show its European production style with a lot of fits and starts and no smoothness in continuity.

Buy the set for "Panic in the Year Zero" which is thought-provoking and a good survival primer. Watch "The Last Man on Earth" on a rainy day.

Great stuff.......2007-05-26

I remember seeing Panic when I was just a little (like maybe eight or nine years old) kid. It was on TV and I thought it was great. Having watched it now, as an adult and having grown up during the Cold War, I see just how great it really was. In a sense, it was visionary in its portrayal of society's reaction to a nuclear attack. Miland's performance was incredible as were the other actors in the film. Add to that fact that Miland also directed this film and I believe it truly shows the man's talents and genius. Yes, there was a level of nostalgia for me as I watched it, but the film points to some very significant issues that I feel we all need to address.

I have not yet watched Last Man but will do so soon.

The post apocalyptic world is not a pretty place.......2007-02-26

I bought this(these) movies basically because I enjoy the MGM Midnite series(bringing you b-movies gems of the past at a decent price).
Panic in the yEar Zero is a good/alright movie-it's the first movie that Ray Milland directed, and it was written by Jay Simms,who also wrote the cult favorite "Creation Of The Humanoids".
The real reason I bought this was to get a decent print of "The Last Man On Earth"-written by Richard Matheson(under a pen name of Logan Swanson).
There are other print on dvd around (and probably a lot cheaper too)but this is a great print, and as a extra BONUS there's an video interview with Richard Matheson as well.

Last Man.......2007-02-16

I really just bought this for "The Last Man on Earth". For years I have picked up various copies of this movie only to be disappointed by the quality of the picture and sound. When I saw this MGM version I bought it and hoped for the best. I can honestly tell you this is the best version I have seen. Fantastic sounds and picture for a 40 year old movie. Based on the Matheson novel "I Am Legend", this movie is a must for Price fans and fans of the vampire/zombie genre. Panic in the Year Zero is really just a bonus for me. I had never seen the movie. Though it is very dated, I guess it was quite racey for the times, and probably very scary with the Cuban Missle crisis right around the corner. This film is of nice quality as well. This is well worth the asking price.

Last Man Standing(I don't know what that's supposed to mean).......2007-02-02

I received this movie in a very timely manner and it was in great condition. The DVD looked like it was transferred directly from the film itself. It was grainy and had that old theater quality,which at first I was a little annoyed by, but as the movie continued, it sort of made everything a little more authentic, like listening to a record on vinyl.

The movie itself was a mixed bag. Anything with Vincent Price is at least worth a look, and this movie served as not only a very close adaptation of a well known story(I am Legend by Richard Matheson) now under production at a major studio, but as a direct inspiration for one of the best horror films ever-Night of the Living Dead. All those facts about the movie peaked my interest and I was very excited to be able to see it. I came away from the experience satisfied, if a tad underwhelmed.

The plot of the movie revolves around a plague that has devastated the world population. All the victims of the disease die, then return as a weak strain of vammpire. We're not talking abuot typical vampires though, they have all the weaknesses but none of the strengths. They're physically weak, and their brains function at minimal capacity. Vincent Price plays a man who is apparently the only surviving member of humanity. By day he wanders the streets collecting supplies and finding the vampires resting places and killing them. By night he holes up in his barricaded house and waits out the inevitable attempts to break in by an ever growing grouop of the undead, one of which was an old friend. In the last quarter of the movie, he stumbles upon another survivor who is not what she appears.

The pluses of the movie are several, Vincent Price being one as his performance oozes a quiet desperation and his excitement at finding someone else alive is palpable. He has the weight of carrying the film and does so wonderfully. The night attacks have a great creepiness about them and you can definatly see a direct link to NOTLD in these scenes. The biggest difference being the fact that these living dead creatures talk. One of them(Vincents characters friend) pounds away endlessly at the barred window calling his name over and over in a dry, monotone wail. Its a great spooky moment. The scenes during the day are well done too. Showing the monotony of having his set routine planned out every day and there are several striking images, most namely a giant fire pit that burns constantly giving him a place to dispose of bodies. The shortcomings of the movie however almost balance out the good stuff. the movie is a little dated and the acting of most of the secondary characters(primarily introdcued in flashback) verge on cheesy in that old Hollywood Melodramatic vain. Scenes of Mr Price and his family(who contacted the disease) vary from forced to heartbraking as Mr Price has to deal with watching his daughter die. For the most part though these scenes are a little overexplanatory and sometimes unnecessary. These scenes provide some of the main frustration with the movie, portraying the bleakness and hopelessness of the story but done with clunky overbearing acting, along with that old hollywood opinion that audiences can't figure things out for themselves, so explain,explain,explain. Mr Price has several voiceovers at the beginning of the movie as well that seem extraneous. His voiceovers when used as a tool to set up the story and portray his lonliness work very nicely, but when used to illustrate very simple points the really don't need verbalization, become very frustrating very quickly.

All in all though,if you like classic horror and if you want to see an old school end of the world flick that has the guts to tack on a bleak ending that most movies of that era wouldn't, you could do alot worse.

Average customer rating:

funny, but not the same
Mel Brooks at His Best
2000 Year Old Man
'Old very very old'
Older Than You Think

2000 Year Old Man
Starring: Carl Reiner , and Mel Brooks
Director: Leo Salkin
Manufacturer: Rhino
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The 2000 Year Old Man In The Year 2000: The Album
The Complete 2000 Year Old Man
Life Stinks
Twelve Chairs
To Be or Not to Be

ASIN: B00005YUP2
Release Date: 2002-02-26

Customer Reviews:

funny, but not the same.......2007-02-21

I bought this and was disappointed. It's got the original sketch's put to a cartoon, with sound effects put to it.

Mel Brooks at His Best.......2006-08-18

My son was performing in a show this summer and he was looking for examples of a particular cultural accent for one of the show's songs. I immediately thought of the amazing Mel Brooks, and I started looking for a DVD of The 2000 Year Old Man, which I thought was perfect for what he was searching for. I found it at Amazon, briefly looked at the various editions, and quickly picked the one I purchased. It arrived almost overnight, and I occasionally stopped by my son's room to watch the DVD, and enjoy his reaction to this timeless comedy piece. We were surpised and delighted to see that I had chosen the animated version, and I found it added a wonderful new dimension to the original recording I had heard as a young girl. My son thoroughly enjoyed it, and learned a great deal from it. It also gave him a new appreciation of the genius of Mel Brooks, and, thanks to the DVD, he performed the song brilliantly -- he actually exceeded my expectations, if that's indeed possible. I would wholeheartedly recommend The 2000 Year Old Man as an example of brilliant timeless comedy at its best.

2000 Year Old Man.......2006-08-12

Fun to see again and to share with a new generation.

'Old very very old'.......2006-05-12

The 'Two- Thousand Year Old Man' record was one of the funniest comic recordings of all time. My high- school friends and I listened to it over and over again. We would go into uncontrollable wild laughter over it , laughter which ended in total exhaustion and a sense of emptiness. I at the time had a very uneasy feeling about 'laughing so much' in this way.
Reiner asks Brooks, the two- thousand year old man how old he feels and Brooks says 'Old very very old'. Their conversation in which Reiner is the straight- man interviewer and Brooks has ninety- percent of the funny lines is a crazily inventive and unpredictable one. One reviewer has quoted a line from it, " A lion is eating my forearm, will somebody call a cop?' This line gives the real spirit of it. Brooks had a bit of a Yiddishy accent and his asides and banter add laughter to the laughter.
The record is better than the DVD simply because it leaves more to the imagination.

Older Than You Think.......2006-03-16

I did not realize how old the sound-track of this made-for-television animation was until Carl Reiner, as the interviewer, set the scene, saying, "A plane landed at Idlewild." The sound track was probably taken from the record released in 1961. President JFK was still alive; his family had no compelling need to name things after him. So, the airport was still Idlewild, not Kennedy.

According to sources who have asked to remain nameless, since naming them would give away their real ages, Mel Brooks, the 2000 Year Old Man himself, and Carl Reiner performed this little interview throughout the 1950s, but never recorded it. I seem to remember reading somewhere, perhaps in The New Yorker Magazine, that the first recording took place at Reiner's home, sometime in the late 1950s. After dinner, Reiner turned on the tape recorder, walked the microphone over to Brooks - a dear friend and guest - and set the scene. Then he asked the first question...

I had the impression that the challenge was a new one for Brooks, but if my sources are correct, and they did predict that there would be no weapons of mass destruction, Brooks and Reiner had been through the routine many times before that fateful night.

Now, I have to ask, was that tape transcribed onto the record, or did the duo do it again for vinyl? I don't know, but I suspect they recorded it a few times. The reason is in the details. In the review that appeared in The New York Times in 1975, when the animation on this video was first broadcast on the CBS television network, there is a quote: "I have 25,000 children...and not one of them ever writes!" In the video the quote is "I have 42,000 children ... and does even one of them ever come over to visit?"

So, perhaps by the time Media Home Entertainment picked up the animation and marketed the version I have, in 1984, some things changed. Who knows? Both versions of the joke are funny, unless you are sitting at home, in the dark, waiting for your kids to call or come over, in which case neither version is funny.

But seriously, "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you don't look where you are going, and fall in a hole, and die." Now, that's funny.

Average customer rating:

violence begets violence
A Touching Nuance
Neighborhood Hero from the Most Unlikely of Circumstances
A Quietly Disturbing Character Study Made with Style
Great Film

THE MAN OF THE YEAR (O Homem do Ano)
Starring: Cláudia Abreu , André Barros , Murilo Benício , Marcelo Biju , and Jorge Dória
Manufacturer: Film Movement
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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THE MIDDLE OF THE WORLD (O Caminho das Nuvens)
The Man Who Copied
Mango Yellow
God Is Brazilian
Lower City

ASIN: B0006354CA
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Product Description

The Film Movement Series present a Brazilian film 'O Homem Do Ano' (Man of the Year). It is based on the award-winning novel O Matador by Patricia Melo. Maiquel has lost a bet and dyed his hair blond. This little event triggers a head-on collision with destiny in which Maiguel goes from nobody to hero to outlaw. In Portugese with English subtitles.

Customer Reviews:

violence begets violence.......2007-02-01

At the beginning of this film Maiquel could never imagine killing a person; by the end of the film he could not not kill. The film consists largely of Maiquel's grotesque transformation. He first killed an acquaintance in a fit of rage after being taunted for dying his hair blond. Wracked with guilt and fear, he was shocked to find that the Rio locals thanked him for his vigilante justice and for "keeping trash off the street." A dentist then employs him to take revenge for raping his daughter. Before it's over Maiquel murders his own girl friend, has an album full of newspaper clippings about the people he killed, a thriving "protection" agency, a massive mansion, and more money than he could spend. Along the way he refuses every exit ramp that might have led him down a better path: marriage, the birth of his daughter, the prick of conscience, the Christian conversion of his second girl friend, and a close brush with the otherwise corrupt police. At one point he even vowed, "I want to change and become a normal person." But it was not to be. Clearly, violence begat more violence.

A Touching Nuance.......2006-09-13

Although "City of God", "City of Men" and some other Amadu-linked movies steadily provide a grotesque picture of Brazil, impressions of movie originated from a different no hands-on acquaintance soil and environment have been of a very personal approximation.

Maybe, because of language differences the only most bankable and acclaimed non-W. European masterpieces reach a broad English-speaking auditorium, viewer's amusement for actors performing and a sex-drugs-murdering scenes balance is hardly of any wondering already.

Professional killer's pet piglet in a movie is a touching nuance might be comprehended as a hidden hint on a way of the leaving where a human life in exchange for teeth fixing initiates less emotions than a birthday meal.

I think it is a good film.

Neighborhood Hero from the Most Unlikely of Circumstances.......2006-08-03

Murilo Benicio has again demonstrated an amazing range of acting ability in this most outstanding film. He plays a young man named Miqual Jorge who has no apparent direction in life, no visible means of support, and who lives in a lower class neighborhood in Rio De Janeiro. However, with one unusual change in his appearance, having dyed his hair blonde, he achieved a change in his personality, one which created a destiny he never imagined for himself ... which sealed his fate. This one event helped him act on a dare and find a new bravado that became his persona. He engaged in behavior which under most circumstances is criminal but which for him won a new life, respect and fame. It also complicated his future in ways he never imagined ... Although the subject of the film is somewhat shocking, the viewer becomes sympathetic to Miqual as one understands how his rather simple life turns into a nightmare from which he can not escape. He becomes powerless to change direction once forces are set into motion. He becomes a victim of the circumstances he created just by one or two decisions.

After his hair color changed, he got into a physical relationship with the attractive hairdresser, Cledir. He took her to his Uncle's corner bar, where a neighborhood thief and bully mocked his dyed hair and made innuendoes about being gay and looking like a gringo. On a spur of the moment decision, Miqual Jorge challenged the young man to settle the score that night. Miqual obtained a gun, waited a long time for his opponent and dared him to fight. His opponent kept walking with his girlfriend and even mocked, what are you going to do, shoot me ... which Miqual did. Word got out, that Miqual eliminated the scumbag who stole from hard working shopkeepers and from innocent pedestrians. When Miqual went to the local dentist, Dr. Caravallo, the dentist suggested Miqual do a contract killing of another low life, one who had raped his daughter. Several wealthy businessmen helped create a business, complete with an office and telephone answering machine, where Miqual's skills were for hire. All this met with the implicit approval of the local police whose hands were often tied by laws which protected the rights of criminals.

Cledir became pregnant as Miqual found a new direction for his life. Initially, he was reluctant to marry but then after meeting her mother, he committed to settling down, having a normal job and raising a family, even going to church. Miqual had inherited the responsiblity to provide a home, food, and clothing to Erica, the 15 year old girlfriend of the man he had killed. She lived in his former bachelor's apartment, after Cledir and he had married. Unfortunately, Miqual succombed to temptation and had an affair with her. She was young and demanding, wanted him to get rid of his wife. Sadly, an unexpected accident caused Cledir to die - they had to cover up her death, to make it look like a disappearance. This worked fine until her body was discovered buried in the backyard of one of Miqual's assistant's who worked with him in his contract murder job. Erica and he lived an upper middle class lifestyle until this event unraveled their cosy existence. She confessed to knowing about neighborhood murders to an Evangelical minister, her guilty conscience was washed free as she found solace in religion, but at the same time, this information threatened to destroy Miqual and his newly created lifestyle. Miqual was forced to act - again digging himself deeper into the quagmire from which there is no return ... This film is a fascinating study of how a few decisions can lock a directionless young man into a life of crime from which there is no escape. Murilo Benicio never ceases to amaze with his wide-range of acting ability. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)

A Quietly Disturbing Character Study Made with Style.......2006-05-07

Murilo Benecio is a young Brazilian actor who just keeps turning out fine, solid and very different character roles. As the leading character is this well made film by director Jose Henrique Fonseca from a script written by his father Rubem Fonseca in turn based on the novel 'O Matador' by Patricia Melo, Benecio molds a memorable portrait of a man of low self esteem who is strangely and inadvertently raised to the level of hero in the most bizarre of circumstances.

The setting is Rio de Janiero and Maiquel is a loner looking for an identity. On a bet he decides to have his dark hair bleached by the beautiful beautician Cledir (Claudia Abreu) and finds that as he steps back into his world he is the object of notice. After a cruel teasing by thug Suel (Wagner Moura) he buys a gun and almost unwittingly kills Suel who dies in the arms of his girlfriend Erica (Natalia Lage). Despite Maiquel's fears of his arrest he finds that the neighborhood rewards him for ridding them of a criminal and Maiquel becomes a hero. Not only is he rewarded with gifts (including a pet pig he names Bill after watching Bill Clinton's visit to Brazil on TV!), he is also given free dental work by Dr. Carvalho (Jorge Doria) in exchange for agreeing to kill an enemy of the dentist. More and more people ask Maiquel to whack bad people making Maiguel's new blond persona a hit man and man of the year. How he ultimately begins to spiral downward when his life is complicated by a marriage and family and holding a regular job forces him to initiate his own choices of violence and return to his original hair color to alter his destiny!

If the story sounds odd, it is really a depiction of life in the city of Rio where the police are impotent to control the violence that prevails. Maiquel becomes the Robin Hood/Batman type who brings a degree of safety to his community. Wisely Benecio holds our attention and our compassion as he performs his many murders, creating a man in whom we can believe and applaud despite the grim things he does.

The cast is uniformly fine and the cinematography by Breno Silveira and the musical score by Dado Villa-Lobos (an important guitar player, relation to composer Heitor Villa-Lobos unknown!) is classy. This is yet another fine film from Brazil, in Portuguese, and one that deserves wide attention - especially for Murilo Benecio's superb performance. Recommended. Grady Harp, May 06

Great Film.......2005-07-19

This film never made it into american theaters (besides a few festivals where it won awards) but it is an outstandingly brash film, and gorgeous to look at. My only criticism might be the ending being a little disappointing, but the lead up is well worth it.

Charlie Rose with Lakhdar Brahimi; Andrew Grove (March 2, 1998)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Lakhdar Brahimi; Andrew Grove (March 2, 1998)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

First, Lakhdar Brahimi, United Nations Special Representative, discusses Kofi Annan's trip to Baghdad and negotiations with Saddam Hussein regarding weapons inspections. Finally, Andrew Grove, Chairman and CEO of Intel and Time's Man of the Year discusses the future of micro-processors and its applications.

Average customer rating:

Coach of the Year
COACH OF THE YEAR
COTY
mmm erin
You get what you pay for...

Coach Of the Year
Starring: Robert Conrad , Erin Gray , Red West , Daphne Reid , and David Raynr
Director: Don Medford
Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005B31S
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Customer Reviews:

Coach of the Year.......2005-03-19

This movie was out-of-date when it was produce in 1980. It reeks of the politically correctness movement of the Psyco- sixties & seventies. Even out of the bargain bin, this was no bargain.

COACH OF THE YEAR.......2003-08-03

I REALLY LIKE THIS MOVIE,I WATCHED IT WHEN IT FIRST WAS ON TELEVISION IN 1980.

I FIND ROBERT CONRADS ROLE IN THIS MOVIE COMMENDABLE,HE PORTRAYS SOMEONE WHO IS WILLING TO BUCK AUTHORITY IN ORDER TO SHOW THAT THE RESIDENTS FROM THE ST.CHARLES CORRECTIONAL FACILITY ARE CAPABLE OF BEING DECENT PERSONS WITH DIGNITY AND ARE CAPABLE OF ACCOMPLISHING SOMETHING IN SOCIETY.

ID ALSO LIKE TO COMMEND RED WESTS ROLE IN THIS MOVIE,IN THE ROLE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY,HE DOUBTED THE RESIDENTS COULD ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING WORTHWHILE,AND IN THE END DECIDED TO LET THEM PROVE IT,WHICH THEY DID.

I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO WATCH THIS MOVIE.

COTY.......2002-08-22

how does a paralized guy in a wheelchair drive a car ion the beginning of the movie??? it was funny cuz it was bad.

mmm erin.......2001-11-15

I just bought it because Erin Gray's in it. She should do more acting, she's really good. Tasty to the eye, too. Other than that, the movie's ok.

You get what you pay for..........2001-11-06

This is a budget price DVD and the print is no better than what you would record off television. Get it only if you're a fan of Robert Conrad or Erin Gray. The print is terrible.

Average customer rating:

John Ritter gives a superb performance....
John Ritter Rules!!!!!

John Ritter Is Man of the Year
Starring: John Ritter , Heidi Mark , Ivo Lopez , Jade Carter , and Jon Jacobs (II)
Director: Barry Zetlin , Jonathan Tydor , and Straw Weisman
Manufacturer: Monterey Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006U5UUE
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Description

Starring: JOHN RITTER, Leeza Gibbons, Heidi Mark (Rock Star), Lin Shaye, Kristen Miller, Amy Hill

Written By: Concept created by Straw Weisman

Directed By: Straw Weisman Description: Bill (John Ritter) is the guest of honor as the "Man of the Year". A very successful head of a large energy firm, he is a man with many dark secrets. His best friend, Stuart, hosts the party at his ritzy ultra modern Hollywood Hills home.

During the course of the night, secrets will be revealed, trusts will be broken and relationships will change forever. Join them, their wives, their lovers, their friends, and their enemies for a night they'll never forget as the guests discover that Bill is not the man they thought he was and his carefully constructed life begins to crumble like a house of cards.

This entire revolutionary digital feature, shot in one location and based on a concept created by Straw Weisman, was shot with twenty-five highly skilled improv actors, a character outline, and no script, in just ONE EXTRAORDINARY NIGHT!

Special DVD Features: Conversation with Director, About John Ritter, Interviews with Cast and Crew, John Ritter pep talk, Music Recording Session, Theatrical Trailer

Awards: Director's Award for Excellence in Filmmaking Method Fest Film Festival Official Selection Method Fest Film Festival Official Selection Santa Monica Film Festival Official Selection Slam Dunk Film Festival

Selected to be the Opening Night Film of The Method Fest Independent Film Festival in Pasadena, California

Customer Reviews:

John Ritter gives a superb performance...........2006-03-28

John Ritter (Sling Blade, 8 Simple Rules) stars as Bill...The Man Of The Year in which the title refers to. A Party is being thrown in his honor as close friends and family, you know, the loved ones and some people he doesnt know all come to celebrate in his honor but under the surface Bill tries to survive the night where he finds himself in a little bit of trouble with some people. He owes money to a guy and that guy hired a man to come to the party to assassinate him. He even owes money to other friends as well. He's been cheating on his wife and so forth. Everyone else has a story as well as we see all the actors interact with one another all throughout the movie and some done. It's all improv which the DVD bonus features said it was which is totally cool by the way this would be fun to do. The cast includes Jade Carter (Area 52), Adria Dawn (Dead Above Ground), Heidi Mark (Rock Star), Annie Sorell (Santa's Slay), Oliver Muirhead (Dead To Rights), Rebecca Harrell (A Piece of Eden), Samantha Lloyd (Running Mates), Lin Shaye (Boat Trip), Kathleen Gati (Fox's 24), James Wilder (Zombie High), Dan Ponce, Clayton Landey (Shovewave), Amy Hill (Next Friday), Khrystine Haje (Scanner Cop 2), Brian Cousins (Killer Instinct), Archie Hahn (Chicken Little), Idalis DeLeon (Running Scared), Kristen Miller (She Spies) and Leeza Gibbons (RoboCop 1 and 2). One of the last movies John Ritter did before he passed..he did this Bad Santa and a couple of others. He surely was a great man at what he did wether it stunk or not (Problem Child anyone). Ritter was awesome. RIP. Note: I have to put this... I would of gave this movie 2 stars because of some of the actors weighing it down (Bunch of them seemed like they didnt care) Just gotta jot that down. Later

John Ritter Rules!!!!!.......2005-07-12

John Ritter rules in another one of his fantastic movies.It's a must see!!!!We all love and miss you!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

What a Film, What a Man
rent it, don't buy it
A one trick pony, but a fun ride
Bomb of the Century
A gay "Truth or Dare"?

Man of the Year
Starring: Fort Atkinson , Dennis Bailey , Cal Bartlett , Bill Brochtrup , and Beth Broderick
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 1572524324
Release Date: 1999-02-23

Amazon.com

This "mocumentary" by Dirk Shafer, an actor-model turned filmmaker, is a witty and articulate blend of fact and fiction surrounding his 1992 reign as Playgirl magazine's Centerfold of the Year. He amusingly blurs the line between fact and satire by mixing badly shot black-and-white scenes with more sleekly produced color interviews and documentary footage. Shafer smartly keeps the fluff to a manageable level by balancing all that facetious humor with a sweetly mysterious undertone. However, this is very much a vanity affair, so expect a high level of self-indulgence as Shafer tells us more about himself than we really care to know. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews:

What a Film, What a Man.......2006-12-21

"MAN OF THE YEAR"

Quite a Film, Quite a Man

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

One of the more interesting documentaries to come out of gay filmmaking is "Man of the Year" which was released in 1995. It is a look at the "Playgirl" centerfold, Dirk Shafer, who was elected "Man of the Year" in 1992, who kept the fact that he is a gay man a secret from the magazine. He was the object of many interviews and had to have a woman in tow so as to appear to be whom "Playgirl" readers though the was. This caused a great deal of stress both on him and on his lover who lived with him and others pressured him to confess that he is indeed gay. The movie is a fascinating look at magazine publishing and the perils of living a double life.
Shafer appeared on every talk show and when the news broke that he was gay, it sent ripples through the publishing world. His really was no big deal because as we well know, the majority of men who have posed nude for "Playgirl" are gay men and in many cases gay porn stars. When Shafer decided to make this documentary, he also decided that he would write and direct it and he has done a good job. In actuality it is not so much a documentary but a "mockumentary'---it resembles a true film but the cast is made up of actors hired to play parts. Therefore the film is basically fiction, albeit, based on fact.
Shafer has a great sense of humor and the movie is humorous and gay men will find it exceptionally funny and cute. I was amused the entire time I watched it, especially when the issue of being "Man of the Year" is discussed. He is labeled as the "ideal man for every woman" while we know what we know about him. However, Shafer did not think it was funny and he finds himself living a double life he had never intended to have. He was forces to take extra care when appearing on talk shows because one slip up would have cost him his fame. At the same time, women and the gay community sense that he is gay and are determined to out him.
There are times during the film that I felt I was watching not much more than a long interview but it was the best interview that I have ever seen. Shafer brought us his problems beautifully and even though he won a title dishonestly, I could not help but sympathize with him for making a bed that he was having trouble sleeping in.
The part of the movie about exposure to AIDS and death is very moving and it really hit hard. It is good to see that someone is concerned about making a mistake that can cost a life.
The film is an entertaining look inside a year in the life of Dirk Shafer. His angst of being a gay man wearing a straight title is sincere and you can feel the pain he feels for having to live a lie. This is not a deep movie that will make you think so if you are looking to have your mind provoked, this is not the movie for you. It is a movie to be enjoyed for what it is, with its subtle intelligent humor and sometimes touching interludes, it is just plain fun.

rent it, don't buy it.......2003-02-08

This is an interesting movie about an interesting subject, but done in an odd fashion. I'd hesitate to even call this "mockumentary" in the sense of the Spinal Tap/Waiting for Guffman sense, but it is indeed done in that tongue-in-cheek documentary style. What makes the film uncomfortable is the blurred line between reality and exaggeration for the sake of story telling. Also you get the feeling from the interviews that this story is one of the most important events of the millenium. It tends to drag a bit toward the middle, but like I said, the subject is interesting, and while there may not be a distinct theme, this film was in fact informative and told not only another coming out story, but also some of the goings on in Dirk's line of work. So rent the movie because it's worth seeing, but if you buy it, you'll probably never watch it again.

A one trick pony, but a fun ride.......2002-09-05

Cliche-riddled? Yes. Superficial? Mostly. Narcissistic self-indulgence on the part of director/star Dirk Shafer? Most definitely! But in this age of "Judge Judy" and "reality tv," this type of "mocumentary" is an interesting genre to follow. What is truth? What is distortion to serve a dramatic end? These are the kinds of questions that come to mind when I watch MAN OF THE YEAR. When the subject is the teller these distinctions become fuzzier and fuzzier. Clearly the tv clips from the Donahue show when the Playgirl "man of the year" fails a "best buns" contest was authentic. The nightclub stripper who became Shafer's stalker and the therapist who diagnosed Shafer as a "passive-agressive latent exhibitionist" are clearly fictional. The best female friend posing as his on-air girlfriend falls in the gray area somewhere between the two.

Recent films that fall into this category that I enjoyed (but also felt frustrated with) are: THE LARAMIE PROJECT, BEST IN SHOW, the hilarious THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE, and THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE (though this last one is usually considered a documentary, Tammy Faye's full-blown participation in its making pushed it beyond the realm of objective reportage, something you expect from a documentary). These are the film equivalents of Capote's IN COLD BLOOD and Mailer's ARMIES OF THE NIGHT. History posing as fiction or fiction posing as history? What I like about this genre is that they seem, in a very post-modernist way, to blithly accept that these distinctions are either irrelevant or cannot be made with any assurance.

The problem for many viewers is likely to come when the film touches upon "serious" issues, like homophobia (including internalized homophobia), the practice of "outing" public figures, and AIDS. The death of Shafer's friend from AIDS (clearly a fictionalized component of this film)is treated with the same light touch as the "best buns" contest. This is quite disconcerting and feels like an insult to people who suffer from this frightful disease and to people who really have lost friends to AIDS. My sense, however, is that life is made up of these kinds of jarring juxtapositions of tragedy and shallowness. Blocking out one reality to more fully experience the other seems arbitrary and artificial. This realization does not lessen the oddness I felt watching MAN OF THE YEAR, but it does help me to accept it.

Overall, I felt the production values were good...as was the acting (catch Robert Goulet as Shafer's father). It's worth a rental if you don't want to cough up the full purchase price.

Bomb of the Century.......2002-08-13

A tasteless and offensive film that ultimately proves to be a cynical joke played by writer-director-star Dirk Shafer against his audience. Shafer was the 1992 "Playgirl" Man of the Year centerfold who (supposedly) represented the ultimate object of desirability for the magazine's (supposedly) heterosexual readership, but is in reality a gay man. Having played the role of a straight man in life, Shafer went on to make this film, a fictional documentary about his secret life during the year of his "reign". He's a gay man who pretended to be a straight man who is pretending to unmask himself as a gay man ... get it? Ha, ha. Ha.

Very (yawn) funny, except that during the course of the film Shafer keeps touching on some very unfunny subjects: a best friend dying of AIDS; homophobia; gay self-hatred; celebrity stalking; etc. The big punch line comes at the end of the movie when Shafer confides that his overall objective in making the movie was not to reveal himself, but merely "to direct"; i.e., to con the viewer into paying to see yet another false presentation of himself. What an ego! The film might have had some redeeming quality if only Shafer had been graceful enough to laugh at himself, but he doesn't. Trust me, there's less to him than meets the eye. Not even worth a look for Bill Bochtrup ("NYPD Blue") as the friend dying of AIDS or Mindy Sterling (the Austin Powers movies) in a brief bit as fictional talk show host Cindee.

The DVD includes the theatrical trailer which is presented in widescreen. The film itself is not presented in widescreen. Not that you should care one way or the other.

A gay "Truth or Dare"?.......2002-06-22

This mock-"documentary" is clever in that, I'm assuming, it does tell what could be a somewhat 'truthful' story overall. The problem with this video is that is doesn't know whether it should be funny or serious and this is definately a huge mistake for this kind of project/subject matter. I personally LOVE dark humor......but this aint it!!!
Best is the scene in which the mother talks about accepting herself as a fit and caring parent while she was dealing with the homophobic father of a dying AIDS patient on the phone.
The worst part of this whole video (and frankly I almost stopped watching quite a few times just due to this), are the "date scenes", in which Dirk is set up by Playgirl to go on a contest winning date with some supposedly hick gal (bad actress..bad!) who won it. The scenes never feel real and it's obvious that everyone is over-acting during the whole mess.
One thing I noticed is that while it's never a great movie and really not good either, overall Dirk isn't a horrible actor and I think he's actually pretty attractive, where as before I just thought he was a pretty boy. Also NYPD Blue fans will recognize the wonderful actor, Bill Bochtrup, in the role of AIDS patient and "discoverer" of Dirk the centerfold.
I was somewhat entertained or I wouldn't bother to write about it. BUT, buy at your own risk. Try to get it used if possible and save yourself a lot of money. Do Not buy it if you think it's a sex film or you're hoping for nudity all over the place, there's no full frontal nudity at all....sorry. Peace Out.

Average customer rating:

Playgirl: The Man of the Year
Starring: Playgirl
Manufacturer: New Vision Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00004YS8U
Release Date: 2000-10-17

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